Wisconsin Guard unit kicks off inaugural Spur Ride

By Sgt. Tyler Lasure

112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Eighty members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 105th Cavalry Squadron, entered a gauntlet of physical, mental and environmental challenges known as a Spur Ride Aug. 4-5 at Fort McCoy, Wis. - and 34 emerged with a pair of silver spurs and a coveted place in the Order of the Spur.

"The Silver Spurs for a cavalryman is a rite of passage and proves to the rest of your comrades that you are worth your salt," said Lt. Col. Bill Kehoe, commander of the 1st Battalion, 105th Cavalry Squadron - commonly referred to as the 105th Cav. "It is an epic accomplishment for a cavalryman."

This was the first Spur Ride ever conducted by the 105th Cav, a subordinate unit of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The tradition of wearing spurs and the Stetson hats is unique to the Cavalry, and earning one's spurs is held in the same regard as earning the expert or combat infantry badge.

Capt. David Shamsi, officer in charge of the 105th Cav's Spur Ride, said the spurs and Stetsons contribute to a cavalry squadron's esprit de corps.

"There is an aura of a Cav Soldier," Shamsi said. "Earning your silver spurs, getting your gold spurs for going to combat, being able to wear the Stetson is a special thing because we have that heritage."

Spur Rides vary from unit to unit, but it is the only method of joining the Order of the Spur. Competitors in the 105th Cav had to demonstrate their mastery of cavalry tasks - navigating between points, radio communications, first aid, weapons and hand grenade proficiency, detecting and placing mines, avoiding and identifying boobytraps, requesting artillery fire on a target, identifying enemy vehicle types, and completing an eight-mile road march in roughly two hours. Troopers were also tested on their knowledge of the history and traditions of the cavalry.

"The spur ride really gives us an opportunity to focus on those tasks so that at the end we not only get the silver spur and esprit de corps, we get what we are supposed to do, which is proper training to standard," said 105th Cav Command Sgt. Maj. Drew Zelle.

1st Sgt. Jeffrey Kent of Troop B, 105th Cav, agreed.

"I'm a leader," he said after completing the 8.25-mile road march. "I should be able to lead my men. I want them to follow in my footsteps."

Kent already has a pair of gold spurs, which signify a combat deployment.

"Getting the silver - it's pride," he explained.

Sgt. Michael Fujihara, also of Troop B, said he looked forward to this event, having missed the opportunity to take part in a Spur Ride while on active duty.

"It was a lot of hard work," Fujihara said afterward. "It's a lot to accomplish, but now our mission is to make sure those who didn't earn their spurs know the standard. We'll train them up for the next one."

Those Troopers not competing for spurs were either serving as evaluators or as logistical and training support. Spurs were presented during the family day and pig roast which immediately followed the event.

"The [Spur Ride] is a long-standing tradition in the cavalry," said Sgt. Joseph Bures of Troop A, 105th Cav, a silver spur holder and an event evaluator. "It is always nice to uphold those traditions and live up to the standards that the cavalry has set in the past."

"It has been raining, thundering, storming - it has been hot, it has been cold," Zelle said. "My Troopers are wet, tired, crabby, but they have been motivated. It is something they really enjoy, even though it sucks. But at the end of that eight-mile road march everybody is going to be cheering, everyone is going to be happy and they are going to be proud of being cavalrymen - and that is what it is supposed to be. It is not an easy thing to do."

"Regardless of earning their spurs or not, everyone was highly motivated and will be very proud that they did this," Kehoe added.

Spc. Benjamin Pechacek, a silver spur holder who served as an evaluator at the weapons and hand grenade station, offered a similar assessment of this rite of passage.

"It's supposed to be tough, physically and mentally - but it can be fun, too," Pechacek said. "The Army has a standard and it holds you to it. So in the end, when you earn your spurs, you remember the pain, the dirt, the (expletive), and you can be proud."

Spc. Alexandria Hughes, 32nd Brigade Public Affairs Team, contributed to this report.

SECNAV Visits Logistics Group Western Pacific and Navy Region Center Singapore

By Lt. Cmdr. Clay Doss, Logistics Group Western Pacific Public Affairs

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus addressed U.S. Sailors and Navy civilians during an all hands call at Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) and Navy Region Center Singapore (NRCS) Aug. 8.

Mabus thanked all hands for their continued service while assigned in Singapore.

"The people at home will never know how much skill and talent it takes to wear the uniform and do your job on a day to day basis in this part of the world," said Mabus. "You make America safer, more secure, and just a better place."

Mabus highlighted the renewed focus on the Western Pacific in the new strategic guidance released by the Department of Defense in January, noting that the continued U.S. military presence in East Asia since World War II had contributed to regional peace and stability.

"The military has always been here in the region," said Mabus. "From a Navy-centric standpoint, the new strategy puts more emphasis on the Navy and Marine Corps."

Mabus held the all hands call during a four-day visit to Singapore that included meetings with US and Singaporean military and civilian officials along with attendance of Singapore's 47th National Day parade.

The Secretary's visit reinforced the importance of the strategic partnership between the U.S and Singapore.

"For all of the military services involved with engagement in this region, from the exercises to continued access of this regional hub, we have no better partner than Singapore," said Mabus. "We'll bring the first of up to four Littoral Combat Ships here next Spring."

While no U.S. base exists in Singapore, the U.S. Navy presence here dates back several decades and the Navy leases facilities from the Singaporean government. Today, the U.S. military community in Singapore includes active duty, civilian personnel and family members, distributed among 15 commands.

COMLOG WESTPAC was established at the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), Sembawang Terminal, in July 1992, after the command's relocation from Naval Station Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. Established in 2007, NRCS provides administrative support to nine Navy, Army, Air Force and Joint commands in Singapore. It also manages 165 family and bachelor housing units and dozens of command, administrative and warehouse facilities.

COMLOG WESTPAC and NRCS are the U.S. 7th Fleet's providers of combat-ready logistics and shore support services. These commands maintain and operate government-owned and contracted vessels to keep combatant ships and units throughout the region armed, fueled and fed.

Additionally, COMLOG WESTPAC is 7th Fleet's Theater Security Cooperation agent for Southeast Asia, promoting military-to-military relations and coordinating exercises such as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training.

Vaccinate to Protect Babies from Whooping Cough

By the Health.mil Staff

Pertussis, more commonly known as “whooping cough,” is on the rise in parts of the United States and proper vaccination can protect against this highly contagious bacterial infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that pertussis, which causes severe coughing fits that can produce a “whooping” sound when an infected patient struggles to take a breath, has been on the rise in the United States in recent years.   The disease can be deadly to newborns and infants who are at high risk for complications, pneumonia and delays in their breathing.

Whooping cough is spread by breathing in bacteria from an infected person’s cough. Early symptoms of the disease are similar to those of a common cold but, two weeks later a persistent cough can develop along with a runny nose, fever and diarrhea. Since the symptoms are so close to those of the common cold, a doctor has to test a mucus sample to determine if it’s pertussis.

Pertussis usually affects babies and small children, who are required to receive several stages of pertussis vaccinations. Immunity can wear off over time, requiring a booster shot after the age of 18. Very few adults get that shot, however, putting them at greater risk of unknowingly passing on the infection to their children. Many times, adults will have a persistent cough that they think is a remnant of a cold or bronchitis when, in fact, it’s pertussis. Pregnant women are encouraged to get the pertussis vaccine late in the second or third trimester so they can pass on protective antibodies to their babies at birth. Teens and adults who are in frequent contact with babies are encouraged to get the vaccine, if they have not already received it, to form a virtual cocoon of immunity around the newborn.

August is immunization awareness month in the military health system.

To learn more about preventing and treating pertussis, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

Soldier Finishes Eighth in Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling

By Tim Hipps

U.S. Army Installation Management Command

LONDON, Aug. 8, 2012 – Team USA coaches did not recognize their wrestler as Army Spc. Justin Lester -- or Harry Lester, as some know him -- as he finished eighth in the Olympic men’s Greco-Roman 66-kilogram tournament yesterday at ExCel North Arena 2 here.

“He was lacking the normal Harry Lester zip that he has,” Team USA Greco-Roman head wrestling coach Steve Fraser said. “Harry, or Justin, looked a little bit sluggish, and he looked like he got a little bit tired.”

“That wasn’t Justin Lester out there tonight,” said Team USA assistant coach Shon Lewis, a retired Army staff sergeant and head coach of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program wrestling squad. “All day it wasn’t him. He doesn’t give up points like that and get taken down like that when he’s on his game. This is the worst I’ve seen him look, as far as moving on his feet.”

Lester, 28, a native of Akron, Ohio, who is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., won one match and lost two in London as Team USA failed to win an Olympic medal in Greco-Roman wrestling for the first time since 1976, excluding the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games.

Lester lost 5-0, 5-0 to Germany’s Frank Staebler in the repechage wrestle-backs of the 145.4-pound class, ending his medal quest before a raucous, sellout crowd of 6,500.

“What I will try to keep in my mind as the lasting emotions are my feelings in the second bout against the American wrestler when the big crowd of several thousands of spectators cheered the wrestlers on,” Staebler said.

Korea’s Hyeon-Woo Kim won the gold medal and Hungary’s Tamas Lorincz took the silver. France’s Steve Guenot and Georgia’s Manukhar Tskhadia both received a bronze.

For Lester, one of Team USA’s strongest Olympic medal hopefuls in wrestling, it was a day he would just as soon forget.

“I just couldn’t get the ball rolling, and it obviously showed,” Lester said. “I just couldn’t get going. I’m a little sick, but [that] plays no part in it. I just didn’t wrestle like I usually wrestle. … I just wrestled stupid. I didn’t stick to a game plan or anything.

“I kept telling my body to do things and it just wouldn’t work,” he continued. “Everything was like a step behind. … Things I usually do naturally just didn’t come together today.”

Lester lost his second match 2-0, 0-1, 0-2 to Lorincz, who rallied to win the last two periods.

“It looked like [Lester] just kind of slipped as they were fighting,” Fraser said of the Hungarian’s takedown that turned the momentum of the match. “They were fighting very hard, and he kind of slipped and fell down on his stomach or side, and the Hungarian capitalized on it.

“Harry is the type of guy that doesn’t study his guys too much,” Fraser added. “We studied as coaches. We knew what his strengths and what his weaknesses were, but Harry likes to just wrestle open and doesn’t really care what his opponent is doing, and that’s what he did. I think he executed his game plan pretty well, but it just looked like he was lacking the normal Harry Lester zip that he has.”

Lester opened with a self-admittedly sluggish 3-0, 3-1 victory over Tsutomu Fujimura of Japan.

“I thought that first match was good to get it out of his system,” Fraser said of Lester’s apparent sluggishness. “A lot of times in the first match you’re a little sluggish. They were both hard-fought matches. When you go at that high-intensity pace, you’re going to get tired. But I just saw not the normal zip, zip. And he’s going to have that zip, zip coming up here if he gets pulled through here.”

Lester got the opportunity to wrestle back for bronze after Lorincz reached the 66-kilo finale with a 3-0, 4-0 victory over Tskhadaia.

Justin Dashaun Lester is better known as Harry in USA wrestling circles. He began using his given name rather than his nickname when he joined the Army and began wrestling for the black and gold.

“I just thought I would be a little more formal, a little more professional,” Lester explained. “I had gone by Harry my whole life. When my mom was pregnant with me, she always had heartburn, so people said she had a hairball in her throat. So when I came out, they just nicknamed me ‘Harry’ and it stuck.”

Regardless of household names, the Olympic Games are known for turning athletic stars into mere mortals, as Lester, making his Olympic debut, quickly discovered.

“It’s a hard tournament,” he said. “You come out right away shooting guns. You’ve got good people right off the bat, and it’s all the way through the tournament. People up their games here, and that’s just how it goes. The experience is something you’ll never get anywhere else.”

Lester, who said he normally cuts 25 to 30 pounds in preparation for a major tournament, cherished the Olympic experience in London, even if the outcome was much different than what he had envisioned.

Wrestlers traditionally leave their shoes on the mat after their final match to signal retirement from the sport. Fraser said he would like to see Lester continue wrestling for another shot at an Olympic medal in Brazil.

“I haven’t talked too much with him about it, but I assume he’s not going to stay down at 66 kilos,” Fraser said. “I assume he’ll go up to 74 if he continues, which I’m not sure if he will or not. I don’t know. But I would guess he’s going to go up at least for a few years and then maybe decide he wants to come back down.

“It’s very difficult to keep that weight down there when you’re naturally bigger,” he added. “I think he thought that [66] was the place to be to win a gold medal, and so he gave it his all to get down there, and gave it his all today to try to do that. Unfortunately, for him and our country, it just didn’t seem like it was in the cards today.”

Lester said he did not know if he would continue wrestling for a shot at making Team USA for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“We’ll see tomorrow, or the day after that, I don’t know,” he said. “The shoes are still on. We’ll see.”

Naval Base San Diego Hosts Earthquake Preparedness Fair

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eddie Harrison, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Base San Diego hosted an Earthquake Preparedness Resource Fair, Aug. 6, to help prepare military members and their families in the event of an earthquake.

The fair, sponsored by Navy Region South West's Sustainable Solid Waste Program, featured 16 organizations with subject matter experts.

One organization gave attendees a sense of realism when an earthquake strikes.

"Here today is an earthquake simulator," said Jim Guerin, Regional Family Emergency Response coordinator. "Participants are able to come inside a living room setting and without notice, they begin shaking and experiencing the feeling of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake."

Guerin added that it is important that Sailors in the area understand that Navy Region Southwest is an earthquake prone area and that the simulator is just one way to be better prepared.

Representatives from San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) attended, demonstrating what happens with electricity and downed power lines after an earthquake has occurred. They showed how electricity can be conducted through a person's body and told participants how to avoid being shocked, which could ultimately save lives.

"I found that the SDG&E display was very informative," said Chief Quartermaster Michael Webster. "The electrical demonstration really opened my eyes to the dangers of electricity after an earthquake. I am currently the disaster preparedness officer at my command, and I encourage everyone to attend events like these, because we are not experts and we never really prepare enough."

Some of the other booths included the County of San Diego Office of Emergency, Armed Services Blood Program, Southwest Search Dogs and the American Red Cross.

"This fair sets you and your family up and helps you to be more secure," said Tony Gomes, work and family life consultant for the Fleet and Family Support Center. "You can never prepare for the earthquake itself, but you can be prepared for what happens after."

Gomes, an earthquake survivor, described his experience as if it had happened yesterday.

"It was 15 years ago and I was in my home," he said. "Earthquakes are something I never really thought about, then all of a sudden a magnitude of about a 7.5 hit. I can honestly say I thought the world was coming to an end. Everyone was running around, trees were falling, honestly it was one of the worst experiences in my life."

The fair gave families a chance to fill out an emergency plan, get some emergency kits and overall receive a better understanding of earthquakes and the effects that follow.

"When service members are deployed, their family is here in San Diego with their children, and in southern California unfortunately we are known for earthquakes," said Gomes. "The service member being thousands of miles away, the family should know what is going to happen. Whether it's a fire, flooding, or an earthquake, it's better to be prepared than to be hit by tragedy and not be able to know what to do and to also know your resources."

DOD Increases Hiring of People with Disabilities

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – The Defense Department’s hiring of wounded warriors and others with disabilities is on an uptick, the Pentagon’s director of disability programs said today.

Stephen M. King, whose office is part of diversity management and equal opportunity, spoke with American Forces Press Service about a recent Office of Personnel Management report that said 14 percent of the Defense Department’s civilian employees have disabilities, putting DOD in second place among cabinet-level agencies for disability hiring.

“There is a greater [applicant] pool, and more emphasis on hiring individuals with disabilities and wounded warriors through two executive orders in the last three years,” King said.

Veterans with disabilities bring values to DOD such as familiarity with military culture, proven leadership and the ability to enter the workforce and “perform on Day 1,” he said.

Additionally, hiring veterans and others with disabilities contributes to military readiness, King said. DOD will reap the benefits of those who have served by hiring them after their service, he added.

DOD and other agencies want to hire veterans with disabilities whether they were injured recently, have acquired a disability, or if the disability is service connected, King said.

“We want … those abilities in DOD regardless of how long ago you were a veteran,” he said.

“For any organization to be its best, you really have to take advantage of and value what everyone brings to the table: their background, knowledge, skills and abilities,” he said.

People with disabilities face unique challenges, King noted. “We need that type of problem-solving ability and skill in the workplace,” he said.

“It is awesome when you get to talk to someone who [wore] a uniform and tells you the difference that you’ve made as an organization by allowing [him] to continue to serve his country but in a different capacity,” King said.

The upward trend in DOD’s disability hiring stems from several initiatives and programs, King said.

“There is a renewed focus within DOD and the federal government on utilizing existing hiring flexibility, [such as] hiring individuals with disabilities noncompetitively,” he said.

Numerous hiring programs include the Hiring Heroes job fairs and the Veterans Hiring Initiative, which seeks out veterans and transitioning service members.

DOD also recruits young people with disabilities as they are about to graduate from more than 250 colleges and universities that participate in the Workforce Recruitment Program, which DOD co-sponsors with the Labor Department, King said.

The goal of the program is to create a database for federal agencies to meet their disability hiring targets, he said.

To further its goals, DOD also is working with human resources policies and advisers so those with disabilities have the opportunity to become integrated into development and leadership programs.

“We want to focus on all types of positions and grade levels … to be inclusive of individuals with all types of disabilities,” he said.

King’s office is working toward getting new employees to disclose their disability information so the department can accurately give them what they need to do their jobs, such as assisted technology.

Such technology runs the gamut, King said, from screen readers for the vision challenged to TTY machines for the deaf to braille keyboards and devices that help those with memory loss. Some wounded warriors have some memory loss due to traumatic brain injuries, he added.

“New technologies are being invented every single day,” King said. “When you look at what we’re capable of providing in the workplace, with the right assistance, it’s actually quite phenomenal, and it’s only going to get better.”

Refined Screening Tools Help Detect Concussions In Theater

By the Health.mil Staff

The Military Acute Concussion Evaluation, or MACE, is the Defense Department’s standard for clinical assessment of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in deployed settings. MACE is the most widely-used clinical interview tool for early detection of concussions, the most common form of TBI sustained in the military. MACE was redesigned this year, along with the “Concussion Management in Deployed Settings,” another critical tool used to help first-tier health care providers improve cognitive screenings and neurological evaluations in theater.

The first two questions on the MACE ask about details of the injury event and whether there was alteration of consciousness, loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia. A combination of an injury event and one of the other conditions signifies a concussion has occurred, which requires continued screening. Doctors say it’s important to have these improved tools in the deployed setting since most combat medics are not medical doctors. These first responders benefit from having a decision tree type of guidance to aid in their assessments and to get the right type of help to the wounded.

You can learn more about the MACE improvements from Dr. Donald Marion, senior clinical consultant for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), a Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) center on DCoE’s blog. And, read more about TBI on health.mil.

Joint National Guard, Air Force Reserve team takes Gold Medal in NATO competition

By Army 1st Sgt. D. Keith Johnson

354th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

HOEVELTE, Denmark  - A few more Gold medals are coming home to the U.S., but they won’t all be from the Olympics in London.

 The Team U.S.A Military Men’s Team won Gold Medals in the Novice category at the NATO Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers’ Military Skills Competition held here. Thirty-five three-person teams from 14 countries participated. Out of 6000 possible points, the U.S.A team edged out the Silver Medal winners by 8.7 points.

Pennsylvania Air National Guard Staff Sgts. Matthew Stern and Mark Jones along with Air Force Reserve Maj. Brendon Ritz comprised the Novice Team. 

Ritz, is an operations officer with the Pacific Command J3, Jones, is an Infantry squad leader with Company B, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment and Stern, is a recruiter with the Pennsylvania National Guard Recruiting Command.

For Ritz, it was about one thing. “Before we got here, our coaches thought we had a chance, but once we got here, it was about just doing your best. As Novices, we just wanted to come out here and not make mistakes.”

It was a very close meet, as explained by Jones.

“The competition really displayed a metaphor for life in that everything that you do, matters. We won only by a few points, which we figured roughly to be equivalent to 20 seconds in orienteering, half of a hand grenade toss, or one good round on the range. That's how close this battle for the gold was!”

Also, a U.S. female competitor won a Gold Medal in the International category. When a country brings more competitors than can form a three-person team, they are put into a pool and teams are created. The U.S. Team had two females put into that situation when a third U.S. female was unable to attend. Four International teams consisting of two males and one female were created.

Washington, D.C., National Guard Capt. Leala McCollum was a member of an International Team that won the Gold Medal for that category. McCollum broke a toe midway through and had to be replaced by another alternate, but her shooting and Combat Casualty Care scores were enough to help her team win the Gold. McCollum, from Arlington, Va., is a medevac pilot with the 121st Medical Company - Air Ambulance.

McCollum, Airman 1st Class Ziven Drake, and the two other females on the International teams were given Sportsmanship Awards from the Danish delegation. The teams changed right before the competition started, and they adapted and competed. Drake, is an F-16 crew chief with the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard.

The CIOR competition consists of a pentathlon with rifle and pistol marksmanship, land and water obstacle courses and a 10-15 kilometer orienteering course, as well as Combat Casualty Care, and a written Laws of Armed Conflict test. Team and individual medals are given for each event as well as overall.

One of the positives from the competition, something not able to be tabulated on a score card is the relationships developed with military members from other countries.

“The purpose of CIOR is to strengthen the alliance and build our partnerships with our NATO allies,” said U.S. Navy Reserve Cmdr. Grant Staats. “More than medaling, representing the U.S.A as leaders and professionals in this Partnership Program is what we aim to do. Achieving these goals will bring the strong finishes to us, every time.”

Staats is the commanding officer for the Joint Reserve Unit, Special Operations Command – Joint Capabilities, and has been involved with the U.S. Team since 1995, as a competitor for 12 years and officer in charge for the last five years.

Staats had high praise for his team.

“Success and failure are elements of life. Our competitors experienced both this year. But, each and every one of them displayed strong character, unending will, clear perspective, and a deep sense of honor,” he said. “Our partnering nations regularly approached me with compliments about the quite professionals we had on our team this year. I am extremely proud of the men and women we took to Denmark for the 2012 CIOR MilComp.”

The competitors also had kind words for the partnering nations.

“The competing countries were amazing,” said Jones. “Their amazing and sincere, admirable sportsmanship is something we should all strive for in life and is what this competition is all about.”

2011 Book of the Year

Col. (ret) Will Merrill’s book “9/11- Ordinary People: Extraordinary Heroes- NYC- The First Battle in the War against Terror!” has been selected as the 2011 Book of the year by Military Writers. (military-writers.com).

Col. Merrill said, “I feel honored to be the spokesman for so many heroic people and their families and friends.”

Col. Merrill conducted more than 60 interviews with individuals involved with the rescue efforts after the two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. Interviews include Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Congressman Peter T. King, who wrote the introduction, NYC Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano, two department chiefs of the Port Authority Police Department, the senior deputy chief of the New York City Police Department and many others to relate the chaos, danger and heartbreak they witnessed.

Through this collection of photographs and interviews, Merrill highlights the bravery and heroism displayed by firefighters, police officers and civilians on and following the events of September 11^th. Merrill also hopes that these unsung heroes get proper treatment for any physical or mental health ailments trigged by that day, such as lung cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. Most importantly, he hopes that America and Americans will remain on alert for terrorist activity so that future tragedies are prevented. “Ordinary People: Extraordinary Heroes” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels. An eBook version is available on Amazon’s Kindle, Apple’s iBook and Barnes and Noble Nook.  More information about the book is available here:

http://www.military-writers.com/army/will_merrill.html

About the Author:

Colonel Will G. Merrill Jr., graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1958. He served for 31 years in the U.S. Army, spending 11 years overseas in Germany, Vietnam, Korea and Greece, and has received many awards and recognition over the course of a distinguished military career. He and his wife, Barbara, now reside in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

National Night Out Promotes Community, Safety for Military Families

By Mark O. Piggott, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Public Affairs

YORKTOWN, Va. (NNS) -- Naval Weapons Station (WPNSTA) Yorktown and Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Yorktown brought together military families for an evening of education and entertainment at the annual National Night Out, Aug. 3, at Lincoln Military Housing aboard the installation.

WPNSTA Yorktown is one of 15,000 communities across the country participating in National Night Out, bringing first-responders together with community partners to help raise awareness of personal and community safety with military families.

"This night has come together to give you the opportunity to meet with the first responders from Newport News and York County," said Capt. Lowell Crow, commanding officer, WPNSTA Yorktown. "These are the people who provide your support so this is a great opportunity for you to get to know them."

This is the 29th year for National Night Out, "America's night out against crime," the chance for service members and dependents to learn more about military and community resources and an opportunity for families to meet emergency services personnel who work hard to protect and serve our community.

"We had well over 600 attendees, counting program representatives, military families and vendors, a 30 percent increase in attendance from last year," said Michele Bondurant, FFSC Yorktown director.

The field was crowded with more than 30 vendors and several military displays from WPNSTA Yorktown and its tenant commands. Families were given a head start in school supplies thanks to major corporations, York County and Newport News schools as well as other local businesses. Everything from traffic and fire safety to home security and family wellness were represented at the National Night Out program.

"National Night Out is conducted as a festival-like experience with food, music, a parade of law enforcement and fire trucks, games for the children, interactive vendor displays, fire and safety demonstrations, raffle drawings, and many vendor give-aways," Bondurant said.

"It is in this family fun environment that Navy families learn and benefit from the many resources available to them both in the Navy and throughout the community. It emphasizes and solidifies the importance of team work, collaboration and community partnerships both on our installation and throughout the surrounding area," she added. "National Night Out provides a forum to celebrate a sense of community within the Naval Weapons Station and provides a venue to showcase the many resources available to Navy families."

With an increase in community participation in just its second year at WPNSTA Yorktown, the future for more events like the National Night Out will continue in years to come.

"It is important to keep WPNSTA Yorktown perpetually engaged with the Navy family population and in working to continually strengthen its community bonds, collaboration vision and strategy," Bondurant said. "Next year we hope to have even more community vendors from James City and York County, along with added representation from Navy resources."

Illinois National Guard Soldiers help first responders at Megabus crash

By Army National Guard Sgt. Michael Camacho,

Illinois National Guard Public Affairs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (8/7/12) - Fire fighters and police officers throughout the central Illinois town of Litchfield came to aid the victims after a Megabus crash on Aug. 2 that killed one and injured three dozen - among those assisting the first-responders were two Illinois National Guard Soldiers.

Cadet Casey Fay, with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Litchfield and Pfc. Christopher Morris of Robinson, with 445th Chemical Company, were driving from Camp Lincoln in Springfield, headed to their office at the Illinois National Guard’s East St. Louis Readiness Center when they came across the crash.

Morris said as they passed the wreck, they saw firefighters and emergency management technicians assisting people at the scene.

“We both felt it in our gut that we should get out there and help these people,” Morris said.

Fay, a combat medic and certified EMT, helped the first responders treat the victims. Morris, who just returned from a search and extraction class, assisted with litters and patient aid.

According to Fay, the first responders were happy to receive the additional help from the two Soldiers. They directed the two to help the walking wounded and get casualties on to stretchers to be transported for further treatment. They also assisted with gathering patient information.

After most of the walking wounded was triaged, they were loaded on to a bus to be transported to Litchfield community center for further medical treatment.

Fay was assigned as the primary medic on one of the buses transporting patients to the community center. Morris stayed on scene to help more casualties get on stretchers to be transported to area hospitals.

“We were glad we stopped and helped out,” Fay said. “They definitely put our skills to good use.”

USS Jason Dunham Celebrates 365 Days DUI-Free

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William Jamieson, USS Jason Dunham Public Affairs

USS JASON DUNHAM, At sea (NNS) -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) celebrated a milestone by reaching 365 DUI-free days while on its maiden deployment, Aug. 6.

According to Command Master Chief Raymond Chamberlain, a robust command culture of responsibility and the personal pride of the crew were the main contributing factors to the ship's DUI-free year.

"This achievement is a great example of Sailors looking out for Sailors," said Chamberlain. "This crew takes the reputation of their ship personally and it shows when you can reach this type of milestone. The word proud doesn't come close to expressing what I feel for every last one of them."

In order to help foster a command climate of responsibility, Jason Dunham employs the Arrive Alive program, which provides Jason Dunham Sailors with a number that can be called to provide the Sailor with a safe ride home.

Senior Chief Electrician's Mate Michael Jordan, command Drug and Alcohol Programs Advisor (DAPA), said he and Chief (select) Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) Dwayne Williams, assistant DAPA, focus on the Arrive Alive program and the leadership of Jason Dunham Sailors resulted in command primed for success.

"Chief (select) Williams and I looked back at situations where Sailors had gotten DUIs and we realized the reason they didn't use the Arrive Alive program and ended up with a DUI in almost every case because they were afraid of reprisals," said Jordan. "So the command as a whole refocused their efforts towards educating our Sailors about the Arrive Alive program and reinforced the message that they weren't going to get in trouble by using te [program] and it really made a difference."

Because of their success, Jason Dunham Sailors strove even harder to maintain their claim to be DUI free.

 "I had Sailors coming up to me and telling me how many days it had been since the last DUI," said Jordan. "They really took ownership of their reputation, and they have a lot to be proud of."

To celebrate the ship's DUI-free year, the ship's supply department provided a cake and a special meal of steak and crab legs.

Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Jobdavid Santiago said the galley Sailors were proud to be able to honor the crew's achievement.

"This meal is for everyone because everyone had a part in making sure we stayed DUI free," said Santiago. "We don't want this to be the last one. We are proud of how far we have come, but we want to keep going."

Jason Dunham is on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.

Face of Defense: Soldier is Giant in Ultramarathon Community

By Army Master Sgt. Frederick Zimmerman

U.S. Special Operations Command

MOUNT WHITNEY, Calif., Aug. 7, 2012 – Standing at 5 feet 4 inches and weighing in at 130 pounds, Army Master Sgt. Mike Morton is a giant in the ultramarathon community.

Morton, a U.S. Army Special Operations Command liaison officer, recently won the Badwater Ultramarathon – a 135-mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California. This was his first Badwater, and he completed the course in 22 hours, 52 minutes, 55 seconds, a time that was just shy of the 22:51:29 course record. The Badwater Ultramarathon starts off at 280 feet below sea level, and ends at an approximate altitude of 8,300 feet above.

“It’s a very competitive race -- you had two former winners and two guys who are on the U.S. 24-hour team with me – a handful of guys that I consider serious competition -- but I knew I had the potential [to win],” said Morton, who is on the U.S. 24-hour team that competes in races that see how far competitors can run in one day. “I was elated to win – just to finish it.”

A total of 90 runners are selected. Just to enter the race, applicants must have finished a prior Badwater as well as a series of other high endurance events including races of at least 100 miles. Morton has finished and won three 100-mile races so far this year, all in under 14 hours.

He and a friend, Eric Clifton, who had won the race in 1999, had discussed taking aim at the course record.

“In January, I ran a 100 in 13 hours, 18 minutes, in March I ran a 13:11 100, and then in May I ran a 13:42, and those were all relatively flat courses,” Morton said. “Eric laid out a plan and he was expecting around a 21-hour finishing time, but I don’t speculate like that. I said using those splits is a good tool, but you can’t account for the variables of the heat and the three substantial climbs.

“So in my mind, the course record was a strong record. I had a super-smart runner telling me 21 hours, but in my mind I was content even being near [Valmir Nunez’s] record, because I knew those variables were going to play a role, even with the wind during the day. It’s a strong wind; it’s something I didn’t account for.”

Badwater allows entrants to have a pacer run with them after the first 17 miles, and that comes in handy as the pacer can “mule,” or carry food and water for the runner. Morton had Clifton running with him for the last 20 miles of the race, and Morton said he was doing the math and letting him know he could break the record.

“He was spitting out times, but it got to the point where I wasn’t talking,” Morton said. “I didn’t want to hear him. I was just like, ‘Hey, man, you can tell me all I have to do is run 15 minute miles. I’m going as fast as I can go.’ At some point, there’s no more effort available. You’re running at max capacity.”

One of the hardest points of the race for Morton came at mile 42– a 14-mile climb that he power-walked most of the way. He had a 19-minute lead when he started, but by the time he reached the peak, the second-place runner had caught up.

Temperatures throughout the race reached 119 degrees during the day, and dropped to the mid-50s at night. Morton said he changed out of his singlet into a T-shirt at night, but didn’t realize how cold it was until he saw photos of his support crew wearing hats and jackets. Due to the extreme heat, he went through four gallons of a sports beverage, a gallon of water and the occasional soda to take in sugar. It was enough to require a small support crew and two minivans full of supplies to travel with him.

“I’m more of a minimalist runner – a lot of people have this big layout of food and take everything they may desire,” Morton said. “I usually find one thing in a race that I like and I stick with it. I don’t require anything fancy.”

Morton, who has won nearly 30 races, began competing in ultramarathons -- which can vary from 50-mile, 100-mile and 24- and 48-hour competitions -- in 1994. He served 11 years in the Navy before transferring to the Army, and began running marathons when stationed on Diego Garcia. He was introduced to ultramarathons by a chief petty officer in Norfolk, Va. “I wasn’t a competitive marathoner at the national level – I could run a six-minute pace and not even come in the top 10,” said Morton, who has served a total of 22 years. “But then I moved up to running 50s and 100s and I was winning, so it became exciting.”

In 1998, he was forced to give up competing after injuring his knee and hip when he slipped on ice while carrying scuba tanks. The injury, and training and deployment cycles after joining the Army, kept him from competing for 14 years. The injury still bothers him a bit, he said, but he’s learned to deal with it.

When training for a race, Morton puts in 140 miles a week running twice a day during the week, and once a day on weekend, going through a pair of running shoes in about 10 days. He completed the 135-mile Badwater race on the morning of July 17 and went out for a run again the next day.

Up next for Morton are the 24-hour World Championships next month in Poland, where he will compete on the U.S. team. The American record for a 24-hour race is just over 165 miles, and Morton said he would like to break it. He came close in September 2011 when he ran 163.9 miles, just 1.8 miles off the record, at the Hinson Lake 24-hour in North Carolina.

“If everything goes well in Poland and I meet my goals, I’m kind of content with doing some fun runs,” he said. “Maybe just chilling out and not running twice a day for a little while.”

Service Leaders Weigh In On BRAC, Renewable Energy

By Amaani Lyle

American Forces Press Service

MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 7, 2012 – Army, Navy and Air Force officials discussed renewable energy milestones, force structure changes and the impact on military and surrounding communities affected by base realignment and closure here yesterday.

Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment; Roger M. Natsuhara, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment; and Terry A. Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, took part in a roundtable discussion at an Association of Defense Communities conference.

The service officials outlined strategies to adapt to future force structure changes and reductions in supporting infrastructure at U.S. and overseas military installations without compromising the nation’s defense capabilities.

“The U.S. is at a strategic turning point after we’ve had over a decade of war,” Hammack said. “We know as the end-strength comes down, force structure changes will be required under the Budget Control Act.” The Army already has announced its end-strength reductions could total about 80,000 soldiers by fiscal 2017, she said.

Base realignments and closures have proven to be effective and objective in reducing domestic infrastructure and reconfiguring what must remain, Hammack said. Four rounds of BRAC took place after the Cold War wound down and force structure was declining, she said, in contrast to the 2005 BRAC, which took place during a protracted war.

“The ’88, ’91, ’93 and ’95 rounds combined produced 97 major base closures, 55 significant realignments and $22 billion in implementation costs resulting in … $8 billion in annual reoccurring savings,” Hammack said.

BRAC 2005 enabled the Army to reset its infrastructure to accommodate the return of forces from Europe and Korea while revitalizing the Army Reserve and National Guard, she added.

“In the last six years, we have closed 97 sites and returned 23,000 acres to host nations, she said. “In the next four years, we plan to close another 23 sites and return 21,000 acres, primarily in Germany,” Hammack said, citing similar progress in Korea during the same timeframe. There, the Army closed 34 sites, with 7,300 acres returned to the community and another 20 sites projected for closure, with 9,400 acres returned to the host nation.

“What remains in Korea and Germany, we believe, is necessary for the support of this nation,” she said.

The Army will continue to seek congressional authorization for additional rounds of BRAC, Hammack said, noting property conveyance remains a priority.

“Putting excess property back into productive reuse facilitates job creation, and that’s never more important than it is today,” she said. “We know that some of these properties have more extensive environmental remediation than others, but we focus on those that can be transferred for beneficial economic use as a first priority.”

Hammack also underscored the Army’s commitment to one of its largest endeavors yet: the deployment of three gigawatts of renewable energy on Army, Navy and Air Force installations by 2025. The Army has partnered with local communities and the services to ensure renewable, reliable energy through analysis of fuel, water and energy needs while reducing the load of power systems in a digital society, she said.

“Collectively, these advancements are changing both the technology we employ and the manner in which we plan and execute our operations,” Hammock said.

Yonkers said the Air Force has taken on similar measures and efficiencies to sustain and modernize its core systems, develop a scalable and responsive force, and preserve readiness while taking care of airmen and their families.

He warned of paying for unnecessary infrastructure that “eats up” dollars better directed to modernization, sustaining weapons systems and supporting the quality-of-life improvements for airmen. He also lamented the possibility another half-trillion dollars pared from the defense budget over the next 10 years that will be triggered in January by a “sequestration” mechanism in the Budget Control Act if Congress fails to come up with an alternative. Sequestration, he said, would have “serious impact” on the Air Force’s ability to conduct its assigned missions.

But despite the new fiscal reality, Yonkers said, communities continue to demonstrate strong support and promising, innovative ideas in support of bases.

“We have 180 renewable energy projects in operation or under construction at 77 of our Air Force bases,” Yonkers said, also noting 20 solar, wind, waste, geothermal, and biomass projects that will move the service closer to its goal of deploying one gigawatt of energy by 2016.

In California alone, the Air Force already has solar energy projects at Edwards Air Force Base and Travis Air Force Base, he said. Combined and when complete, they will create 420 megawatts of power, he added.

Similarly, the Navy will continue to pursue its energy goals through ongoing community and industry partnership, Natsuhara said.

“The big goals for us will be the 50 percent alternative energy for our bases,” he said. “We look forward to working with the communities as we look at renewable energy, microgrids and other [avenues] to meet all of our very aggressive goals.”

And while the BRAC process has reduced the service’s installations to from 150 to 70 in the United States, the Navy now is in more of a “growth mode” overseas, as the new defense policy pivots attention to the Asia-Pacific region, Natsuhara said.

“We have quite an extensive program that we’re going to have to implement … very soon in Guam, Australia and Hawaii,” he said. “We’re also moving a few ships to Singapore.” A lot of these bases, said he added, are going be of a different and unprecedented model.

“There are going to be less of the traditional bases where we have our families and modern support facilities,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure on our facility side as we go overseas.”

With fleet concentrations primarily in the northwest and southwest regions of the United States, Natsuhara said, the Navy can benefit from being able to analyze how to make its bases more efficient as it further aligns its forces.

Community collaboration has produced successes along the way, he said, including Virginia’s Naval Air Station Oceana, which was considered for closure in 2005, but through legislation and joint councils, has become more compatible with the community.

“To date, the Oceania area and the state have contributed about $63 million in some of the land-use purchases to build more compatible lands,” he said.

At Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, the Navy worked with wind developers on private lands to make turbine operations compatible with air training operations, Natsuhara said.

“Wind turbines are an important part of the renewable energy push for this country,” he added, “and we’re a strong supporter of that.”

Panetta Describes Strategy, Warns Against Sequestration

By Amaani Lyle

American Forces Press Service

MONTEREY, Calif. – As the Defense Department adopts a new paradigm for the U.S. military to remain a formidable force while absorbing $487 billion in spending reductions over the next decade, the prospect of an additional $500 billion spending reduction over that period would be “a disaster” not only for national defense, but also for defense communities, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

In remarks at an Association of Defense Communities conference, the secretary said the new defense strategy and the Pentagon’s budget decisions reflect the need to bring the government’s budget under control.

“There is a strategic and fiscal imperative that is driving the department to a smaller, … leaner and more agile force – that’s the reality,” Panetta said. “It would be irresponsible not to reduce the budget and do our role in confronting the fiscal challenges facing this country.”

The secretary noted that though the department and the nation are weathering a period of great challenge, an opportunity for planning emerges.

Under the new strategy, Panetta said, the force will remain agile, quickly deployable, flexible, and prepared to deal with crises anywhere in the world. As drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan unfold, the United States will continue to sharpen its focus on matters in the Asia-Pacific region, sparking a rebalance of global posture as part of an overall strategy to maintain a presence elsewhere in the world.

Additionally, he said, vigilance against cyberspace threats is essential. He called the cyber arena the “battlefield for the future,” with the potential to cripple progress for the United States and its allies.

The strategy also must include investment in and protection of DOD’s industrial base, the secretary said.

Close partnerships with members of Congress, committees, caucuses, defense industrial partners, foreign allies, foreign partners and defense communities across the country remain one of the guiding principles in implementing the new strategy, Panetta said.

Noting that he has to “put every area of the defense budget on the table,” the secretary acknowledged challenges that stem from assessing major areas such as compensation, which he said has increased by 80 percent.

“Unless we confront the costs in that area, we’re going to find ourselves cutting our national defense in order to deal with tremendously increased health care costs.” But at the same time, he said, the Defense Department must “keep faith” with the military.

“We’ve got to make sure we stand by the promises that were made to them and to their families,” Panetta said, adding defense communities can help by making sure they hire veterans and spouses who enrich those areas. “I ask each of you to look for creative ways to help us better support each other,” he said. “We’ve got be honest and open with each about the nature of the fiscal challenge that confronts this country.”

But a “sequestration” mechanism built into the budget law would trigger another half-trillion dollars in across-the-board defense spending cuts over the next decade, Panetta said, and a similar amount in other government spending if Congress fails to find an alternative by January. That, he said, would “hollow out the military.”

“I've made clear, and I'll continue to do so, that if sequestration is allowed to go into effect, it'll be a disaster for national defense and it would be a disaster, frankly, for defense communities as well,” he said. “And frankly, it's not only true about the DOD budget, it's also true relating to the domestic discretionary cuts that will deprive communities of the needed federal support they need in areas like education.”

Panetta called sequestration “an indiscriminate formula” that was never meant to take effect.

“It was never designed to be implemented,” he said. “It was designed to trigger such untold damage that it would force people to do the right thing.” He urged the defense community leaders to do what they can to ensure Congress reaches a solution that avoids sequestration.